On the late evening of Saturday, February 18, 2023, the sound of gunfire disrupted the night in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood. At approximately 11:34 PM, a ShotSpotter activation drew police officers to the area of 958 Tremont Street, the location of Slade's Bar & Grill. Upon their arrival, they discovered a grim scene: two men had been shot. Both victims were quickly transported to local hospitals for medical attention.
One of the men, a 37-year-old Black / African American male named Terrelle Banks of Boston, had been shot in the back and was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The second man sustained injuries that were considered non-life-threatening.
The investigation into the shooting fell to the Boston Police Homicide Unit. Detectives were able to utilize video surveillance footage which had captured the incident as it unfolded outside the bar. This footage not only showed the shooting itself but also recorded the gunman's path as he fled the scene. Investigators meticulously followed this route the next day and recovered key pieces of evidence, including a sweatshirt, a t-shirt, a mask, and a firearm. The gun was later confirmed through ballistic testing to be the weapon used in the shooting, matching a shell casing found at the crime scene.
Through their investigation, authorities identified a suspect in the killing of Terrelle Banks. On Thursday, March 16, 2023, less than a month after the fatal shooting, officers arrested 33-year-old Stephen Freeman, also from Boston. The arrest took place in the vicinity of Shawmut Avenue and Hammond Street, not far from where the crime occurred. Freeman was subsequently charged with murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm, and assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon. Video from inside Slade's Bar & Grill prior to the shooting reportedly showed Freeman wearing clothing that was identical to the items recovered by the police along his escape route. Following his arrest, a judge ordered him to be held without bail.
